China pressure forces govt crackdown on Tibetans

September 12, 2008

BY KIRAN CHAPAGAIN/KOSH RAJ KOIRALA
Kantipur.com

KATHMANDU, Sept 12 - Growing Chinese pressure on Nepal to curb the
"anti-China movement" and protracted agitation by "Tibetan refugees"
in Kathmandu has finally made the government get tough with Tibet
protesters.

On Thursday, the immigration office handed over 106 protestors to the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for verification
of their refugee status as they had remained silent during police
interrogation, Home Ministry spokesperson Modaraj Dotel said.

"They will not be allowed to stay in Nepal after the verification. If
they continue to remain silent even during the verification by UNHRC,
we will conclude that they are illegal immigrants," Dotel said.

Intelligence sources speak of reliable evidence that many of the
protesting refugees have come here from Dharmasala, India.

"Tibetan refugees" have been agitating in and around the Chinese
embassy in Kathmandu since March. They intensified their protests
ahead of the Beijing Olympics. Around 400 police have to be deployed
daily to contain the protests.

The government action against protesting refugees follows a meeting
between Home Ministry officials and Chinese envoy Zheng Xianglin this
week. Zheng reportedly complained to the ministry officials that the
protests have affected work at the embassy besides posing a threat to
the lives of Chinese officials.

The Home Ministry now plans to "make the illegal immigrants" leave
Nepal after verification by UNHCR. Besides, they are also mulling
tougher action against the refugees if the current plan does not work,
officials told the Post. They, however, declined to give details.

In the meantime, the Home Ministry has received what officials said
was reliable intelligence that some European and American NGOs are
supporting the protests by the refugees.

"We are going to take action against them [NGOs] as well," Home
Ministry sources said on condition of anonymity. He did not name the
NGOs.

Home Ministry officials, on the basis of intelligence reports,
concluded that the protests have been coordinated by someone outside
Nepal.

"We tolerated the protests to date but we will no longer stand for
it," a senior Home Ministry official said. "Such protests are not
allowed in India though a large number of refugees have been staying
there," the official said.